Profit Players: Marouane Fellaini

Everton supporters have been in fine voice in recent times after seeing their side get back to winning ways in the Premier League at the weekend.

Marco Silva’s men went into their meeting with Bournemouth off the back of successive defeats at the hands of Brighton and Leicester City in their preceding two league matches, results which saw them fall into the bottom half of the table. Yet the Toffees returned to the top ten on Sunday as goals from Kurt Zouma and Dominic Calvert-Lewin sealed a 2-0 success for the Merseysiders at Goodison Park, in turn picking up their eighth Premier League victory of the season.

As such, there have been many delighted Evertonians up and down the country in recent times, several of whom may well be interested in recent reports that Manchester United are looking to offload midfielder Marouane Fellaini this month, who of course made the move to Old Trafford from Everton back in 2013.

And while the Toffees were somewhat criticised for sanctioning his exit to reunite with David Moyes at the Premier League giants, the fact they made a £9.58 million profit from his services, having sold him for £29.16 million after signing him for £19.58 million in 2008 (as per Transfermarkt), alongside his struggles to really showcase his qualities at United underlines the masterstroke pulled off by the Merseysiders.

Ultimately, while some Everton fans likely hold a grudge against the Belgium international for leaving Goodison Park back in 2013, there is little doubting that he was a huge asset throughout his time with the Toffees, arguably becoming one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his latter years at the club.

While his first season at Everton was reasonably successful, netting eight goals and laying on three assists in 30 Premier League appearances for Moyes’ side, he then endured a quiet spell between 2009 and 2012, playing regularly for the Toffees but not really contributing readily in the final third – he managed only six league goals in three seasons between 2009 and 2012.

But after an improved campaign in 2011/12 in which he scored three goals and laid on six assists, Fellaini took it up another level the season after in bagging 11 goals and laying on six assists in 31 league appearances for Moyes’ Toffees, in turn helping them to a sixth place in the Premier League.

And given just how effective the 31-year-old proved to be in that attacking midfield position, Everton had themselves an asset that they really needed to retain if they were to build on their sixth place finish the season after – but they soon cashed in on his services.

And while they were somewhat criticised for doing so at the time, it has proven to be a masterstroke as Fellaini simply hasn’t shown the same level of performance at United, while the Toffees themselves haven’t suffered too greatly from his exit.

The Belgian ace has appeared 177 times for the Red Devils, the same amount of appearances as he made at Everton, in the last five-and-a-half years, but only 119 of those have come in the Premier League, of which just 72 have been starts – ultimately, he has struggled for regular first team football.

And with the North West giants seeking to offload him this month, with the club reportedly holding out for £15 million, United look set to make a loss on a player that simply hasn’t been able to deliver the goods on a regular basis at Old Trafford.

Yet Everton deserve huge credit for making a £9.58 million profit on the midfielder, and with Gylfi Sigurdsson now the club’s main man in the number ten role, they haven’t exactly suffered from his departure – clearly then, the club pulled off quite the masterstroke in sanctioning Fellaini’s exit back in 2013.